MDC-T is plotting a wholesale recall of Harare and Bulawayo councillors after its candidate was defeated in mayoral elections in the capital city in a move observers say will virtually collapse the two local authorities.
The Thokozani Khupe-led party’s candidate Luckson Mukunguma was defeated by Jacob Mafume of the MDC Alliance in hotly contested polls last week.
Mafume replaced Herbert Gomba, who was recalled by the MDC-T a fortnight ago as part of a battle for the control of the capital.
Other councillors that were recalled along Gomba were Hammy Madzingira, Kudzai Kadzombe, Gaudencia Marere, Costa Mande and Happymore Gotora.
On Friday the MDC-T held an emergency Standing Committee meeting in Harare to review the mayoral election setback and insiders said a decision was made to recall 11 councillors from Harare and six from Bulawayo to hit back at the MDC Alliance camp
led by Nelson Chamisa.
Five councillors would allegedly be recalled from Marondera council.
In Harare, the MDC-T strategy was allegedly to limit the MDC Alliance councillors to only eight, against the faction’s 14.
This would allow the party to use its majority in council to appoint its members to key positions such as committee chair posts.
“Eleven councillors are being targeted and they include deputy mayor Enock Mupamawonde, our chief whip Loveness Gomba and committee chairpersons and their deputies,” an MDC-T insider claimed.
“The idea is to target those who nominated Mafume and seconded him, strong councillors and those in key positions that should be taken over by the MDC-T.”
The insider said the MDC-T never expected to lose the mayoral election.
“The faction was thrown into a quandary after the loss because it had been assured by [interim secretary-general Douglas] Mwonzora that Mukunguma would win,” another source said.
“Other standing committee members want a lot of councillors who voted against them recalled, accusing them of being ungrateful for not being recalled.”
Sources said Mwonzora would write a letter to Local Government minister July Moyo ordering the recalls of the councillors accused of defying Khupe’s orders.
Mwonzora, however, denied that the meeting resolved to recall more councillors.
“The best person to talk to is the spokesperson [Khaliphani Phugeni] or the national chairperson,” he said.
“I was in the meeting briefly. Maybe something like that was discussed, but it is not true. When we make recalls, we will tell the whole country,” Mwonzora said.
“We don’t just recall, we recall pursuant to certain misdeeds. There is no truth in that.”
